Probably been answered but didn't come up in the search. Are the new Topfields (eg TF-T6000) going to support IceTv? Like the 4 channel recording but it seems like IceTV has been dumped.
Quote from: daylesfordpep on March 10, 2014, 05:58:16 PM
Probably been answered but didn't come up in the search. Are the new Topfields (eg TF-T6000) going to support IceTv? Like the 4 channel recording but it seems like IceTV has been dumped.
No, the TF-T6000 isn't Ice compatible and it's not that new either - been around for about a year. I've already seen them in the 'bargain bin' at JB HiFi.
All recent Toppies do quad recording. The only current Ice compatible unit is the TRF-2400 (or the 2460 if you can find one).
The impression I have is that IceTV has been dumped in favour of the peculiarly named IR (Intelligent Recording).
The TF-T6000 was supposed to be a premium product, but the absence of IceTV support and, more critically, the absence of TAP support means that it only marginally better than the TRF-2100 as a PVR. The TRF-7260 is much better, and if you need IceTV the 2400 is you only choice.
Ian
Quote from: IanL-S on March 10, 2014, 06:55:37 PM
The impression I have is that IceTV has been dumped
Do we know who instigated the 'dumping' - IceTV or Topfield?? The relationship between the two was longstanding and, I thought, mutually beneficial. Wonder what went wrong.
Hello Everyone,
Topfield has had senior management changes, which have slowed IceTV integration with their more recent models. We're meeting with them next week to progress this project. IceTV has a good Software Development Kit for vendors and if we build on the long-standing relationship between our fine organisations then we should see IceTV support on Topfields in a few months, say June.
Happy Smart Recording, Heinz
Heinz - IceTV Staff Junior Member??? LOL
Any more news regarding the 'IceCube' you spoke about last year?
Yes Paul. IceCube is ticking along well.
This week we're briefing our engineering teams on a consistent user experience across the box, web site and apps for all platforms (iOS, Android aaaaaaaaand a new Windows Phone app to be released in April).
Also been working on a killer feature!
The recent mixed messaging by Freeview around HbbTV hasn't helped and slowed us down a bit. But there will be a few IceCubes under Christmas trees this year!
Cheers, Heinz
Quote from: Heinz on March 11, 2014, 12:51:12 PM
Hello Everyone,
Topfield has had senior management changes, which have slowed IceTV integration with their more recent models. We're meeting with them next week to progress this project. IceTV has a good Software Development Kit for vendors and if we build on the long-standing relationship between our fine organisations then we should see IceTV support on Topfields in a few months, say June.
Happy Smart Recording, Heinz
I am sure many loyal IceTV users who prefer Topfield PVRs will be pleased to hear this.
The new Topfield Australia (Toppro) team has culled the offerings, so the only candidates would seem to be the TRF-7260 and the TF-T6000. The latter has different hardware and different firmware bases (I understand it run 'proprietary' Android OS rather than the usual 'proprietary' Linux).
As I mentioned above, currently the TF-T6000 does not support TAPs. At the time it was released the Toppro www site indicated that it did, and there was an interview with the CEO of Topfield Korea in which it was stated that the TF-T6000 would support TAPs.
Ian
PS I too eagerly await further progress reports on the new IceTV device.
Thanks for the replies. I lost internet so its great to be back. The reason I mentioned the unit was because it is supposed to have networking so you can watch shows on a tablet or computer but if it doesn't have IceTV I won't purchase. Glad to hear IceTV and Topfield are discussing the matter. Fingers crossed.
Quote from: Heinz on March 11, 2014, 12:51:12 PM
Hello Everyone,
Topfield has had senior management changes, which have slowed IceTV integration with their more recent models. We're meeting with them next week to progress this project. IceTV has a good Software Development Kit for vendors and if we build on the long-standing relationship between our fine organisations then we should see IceTV support on Topfields in a few months, say June.
Happy Smart Recording, Heinz
Heinz
Is there anything you can report on the discussions with Toppro/Topfield?
Ian
Quote from: Heinz on March 11, 2014, 12:51:12 PM
we should see IceTV support on Topfields in a few months, say June.
Judging by past experience with Topfield it's been one hell of a rocky road (1-2 years of firmware updates) trying to get IceTV working on older boxes (2460 and earlier) that still contain teething issues with IceTV (ie timeslot changes don't update after the pvr's have already received a timer for the same program)
I hope you have someone at IceTV beta testing the firmware on the new boxes to ensure all the glitches are ironed out with the Topfield fw Engineers directly in Korea.
I agree with Vortical about the need to talk directly to the Topfield engineers in Korea.
There are still problems with the Toppy firmware (I assume it is a firmware issue) with the 7100+ and 2400 when the schedule changes and there is either:
- no update by the Toppy
- the Toppy deletes the old timer but does not put in place the replacement timer - this is more likely to happen if there is a timer for the following program that also has to be updated. I have had this happen on two Toppys at the same time - my primary one and my back-up
- the Toppy does not delete the old timer and creates a new timer (I have seen this several times on both the 7100+ and the 2400)
The Topfield engineers have done little work on the 2400/2460 and 7100+ code since the revamp in early 2012. The addition of the TV Portal for the 2400/2460 was merely a transfer of a feature in the TF-T6000 firmware. They also did patch for weather on the 7100+.
Ian
Heinz
Is there any update on the discussions with Toppro/Topfield?
Thanks
Ian
Last week I downloaded two different fw files on the Australian Topfield website that were both dated 11th April 2014 for the TF-T6000 model but once extracted they were not .tfd files
One was .alz file and the other was .a00
This may be some compressed file format and I'm curious if this may have been an IceTV firmware update.
Note: As of today these files have now been taken down from the Australian website and it now has no firmware available for this model.
Toppro split large files into two, so it could be some sort of self-extracting archive. The total size should be about 90meg - the file *.tfd files are already compresssed so there is little to be gained by archiving them. Alternatively it could be the result of using a file splitting utility. Not sure what you would use to join them it that were the case.
I notice the files there the other day; before they just had a link to the downoad on the Topfield Korea www sit.
Ian
If it is some obscure compression format that may have been the reason why it was taken down.
Perhaps they got too many phone calls from customers asking about it.
There is now a zip file with version 1.09.00 dated 28 March - this one is not yet on the Topfield Korea www site.
Will install it tomorr as see what, if anything, has changed.
Ian
Probably just another weather api update.
Quote from: Vortical on April 26, 2014, 06:54:08 PM
...and I'm curious if this may have been an IceTV firmware update.
That firmware was not an IceTV-related update.
IceTV will be supporting new Topfield models. Topfield is still deciding which ones they want IceTV to be on.
Quote from: Dave at IceTV on April 30, 2014, 12:19:27 PM
IceTV will be supporting new Topfield models. Topfield is still deciding which ones they want IceTV to be on.
Is this planned for future models only, or upgraded firmware for current hardware?
Hopefully both new models and updates for a couple of the existing models. The deciding factor may be whether the current PVR models have enough spare memory to add IceTV.
As the TRF-7260/TRF7260+ use the same hardware platform at the TRF-2400/TF7100HDPVRtPlus, there should be sufficient resources on that unit to run IceTV. Just a matter of porting the IceTV module. They use a Broadcom BCM7335 processor, have flash-ROM: 64MBytes(NOR, 16bits); RAM: 384MBytes DDR SDRAM(48bits); EEPROM: 2KBytes.
The TF-T6000 uses ViXS Systems XCode 4210 processor (MIPS 74k and there are two ARC 750D offload processors, giving 3,200 DMIPS), there is I understand at least 128MBytes of non volatile memory, and an unknown amount of ram. It ran a custom version of android developed by XCode. I suspect the XCode 4210 is not likely to be used in future models - it is far too slow (much slower in practice than the Broadcom BCM7335).
The new TFT-6211 has a dual core ARM Cortex A9 processor, 4Gig of flash memory and 1Gig of DDR3 SDram. It runs Android 4.2(Jelly Bean). So it would seem to be plenty of resources with this one.